Even If You Weren't Real, I'd Make You Up
by PygmyMe
Summary: They're both broken, hallucinating messes. But they've just got each other. This is a love story. He loves her. She doesn't eat. *warnings: self-harm and other mental issues. TRIGGERING* (two chapter one-shot) AU
1. Part One

Percy pulls out a Sharpie from his back pocket, giving Annabeth a smile and settling between her legs. She barely looks real, with the afternoon sun making her look angel-like, skin glowing and messy blonde curls splayed out around her like a halo. Percy really doesn't understand how he ended up with someone so perfect; but not really, because you see Annabeth is broken. But so is Percy so, really, it's fine.

"Lift your shirt up for me love," he says softly.

She looks at him with an annoyed expression that Percy has grown used to, and rolls her eyes, "You know I don't like doing that unless it's dark."

"The house isn't empty when it's dark," Percy replies, pulling up the hem of her shirt slightly, fingers ghosting over the skin. He ducks his head and plants a feather-light kiss to the dip of her stomach that makes him worry. He smiles when he hears Annabeth's breath catch.

She looks down at him with a pouty glare but complies anyways; pulling up her shirt till it's right under the bottom of her bra. Percy's smile widens into a grin and uncaps the marker. "Gently," she says.

"I know," is all he replies, before bringing down the marker to the pocket of Annabeth's stomach, the little bit of soft that'll never leaver no matter how little she eats. In small letters, above the waistline of her denim shorts he writes:

_Beautiful._

He does that to the inside of her thigh too, just above where the sleeve ends. When he looks up, Annabeth's looking down at him with so many emotions in her eyes Percy can't identify any of them. He pulls himself up so he's resting right above her, hands holding him up on either side of her head. "You ok?" He asks.

With a small reply of 'mhm', Annabeth leans up, lips meeting halfway. They kiss, and their lips fold over one another, exchanging each other's warmth. Their lips become more needy.

Then one thing leads to another.

+x+

"Only you?" Leyla asks, grabbing a menu from the stack.

Percy shakes his head, and looks back at Annabeth who's looking at the fish tank. Grey eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. "No, table for two."

"Ok," Leyla gives him what's supposed to be a cheerful grin, but as always there's a hint of sadness, as if she knows something he doesn't and it makes her heart clench. Percy never understands those looks and he thinks maybe one day he'll ask her. "I'll be right with you." She seats them at their usual table and heads off to the kitchens.

"What's your order for the week?" Annabeth asks. Percy notices that she isn't even looking at the menu and he frowns.

"I dunno, blueberry waffles?" He says.

"Percy don't be silly," she laughs. And Percy smiles because there's nothing better than hearing her laugh. "Isn't that only for the mornings?"

"What? You're an expert on eating now?" He asks.

"I'm an expert on food," she says. "Avoiding it, hiding it, normal stuff."

Annabeth doesn't just have an eating disorder, Percy thinks, she's pretty damn good at it.

"Don't joke about it," Percy frowns. "Making fun of yourself isn't funny."

"I can either mope around or turn it into something fun," she shrugs.

"I just think you should take it more seriously though. I take it seriously."

Annabeth reaches out over the table and plays with his fingers, "Do I tell you not to hallucinate?" She asks.

"No."

"Do I tell you that if you wish it hard enough the voices will leave you be?"

"No."

"I'm sick, Percy. We both are. You've got your coping methods and I've got mine." She gives him a small smile.

He's about to respond when Leyla comes back, "So what'll it be?"

"Oh uh, four blueberry waffles, and um-" He looks over to his girlfriend.

"Water," Annabeth says quietly.

Percy, again, frowns. "A chocolate milk, and two waters."

Layla picks up the menus with a nod and another one of her sad wanna-be-cheerful smiles.

After his food is brought, Percy tries coaxing Annabeth into having a bite of his syrup-coated waffles. Like always she denies.

+x+

_Shover her into the pond._

Percy shakes his head, as if he can knock the voices out that way. They're circling the pond by his house, Annabeth holding tight to his hand and talking about another of her building designs.

Some days they aren't so mean, some days he can pull off being sane with some kind of success. But he's beginning to suspect that this isn't one of those days. With soft voices playing in the back of his consciousness and a devil with a voice like honey, he follows Annabeth as she leads him down the path, even though his grip is lacking.

_Push her into the street._

"Shut up," he mutters, distracting Annabeth as she explains about how she added a pool to their dream home design.

"Percy?" She asks, concern lacing her voice.

Halting, he shakes his head and squeezes his eyes shut._ Please shut up_. He thinks, as if that ever made a difference.

"Is it- is it Her again?" Annabeth asks, taking his hand in hers. Percy nods, humiliation flushing his face. "Percy listen to me.

_She's not telling you the truth._

"Percy," Annabeth repeats, "Please listen to me."

_She isn't real, s'not even here. I'm real Percy, she isn't._

"Tell me you're real," Percy whispers.

"I'm real," Annabeth says, eyes going glassy. "You're real, we both are."

_You should hurt her, she's lying._

"God, no I won't." Percy shakes his head again.

"Please, Seaweed Brain, you've gotta focus on me, ok? Let them go. Let them go for me, please," Annabeth's desperate now.

Percy breathes; in and out, in and out.

_She doesn't really love you Percy, she doesn't have a heart._

"You love me, right?" Percy mutters quietly, not wanting to look at Annabeth, hating that he has to ask this.

"Percy, look at me," she says in a soft, warm voice,

_Don't do it._

He does.

"I love you more than anything," she says softly. "This is what's real." Percy nods, and the voices quiet down, but still there. They're always there. "You should go home."

"But what'll I do if it gets worse?" Percy asks, clutching to Annabeth's fingers.

She smiles. "Let them go."

+x+

"I want to meet her," Percy's mom says over her laptop. "This girlfriend of yours."

"You'll meet her soon, she's just scared that you won't like her." He replies. Because that's the truth, whenever Percy brings it up, Annabeth never hesitates to change the subject.

She scoffs, "Well tell her she's being silly, and that I'll love her no matter what." Percy nods. He really wishes his mom would stop pressing the issue. He won't force Annabeth to do anything she doesn't want to. He hasn't met her parents, it's not like it's a problem, really. "Percy, sweetheart..."

"What mom," he asks.

"Annabeth isn't just one of your voices right?" She says.

He glares at his mom, "Seriously mom?"

"I'm sorry honey, it's just that she showed up one day and I don't even know how you two met."

_You don't know where you met, do you?_

"We met at school."

_No you didn't, don't lie. Tell her the truth._

Percy's mom nods. "Alright, well you tell her I'm excited to meet her."

"Will do," he says. "I'm gonna go upstairs and do some homework, alright?"

"Mhm, just be down for dinner."

Percy doesn't reply as waves of realization hit him. Because no matter how hard he tries, he can't remember meeting Annabeth. 'Course he can't, he made her up.

_How are you gonna tell this to your mom, she'll lock you up for sure, but you deserve this._

When Percy opens the door to his room, there's Annabeth, sitting on his bed.

"Tell me this is a dream," he pleads. "Wake me up, please."

Annabeth bites her lip, "I'm sorry."

"You said you were real! How aren't you real? Why aren't you real?" He asks quietly.

"But I am real!" Annabeth says, looking sad and lost. "I know I'm real.

"No you're not, you're in my head."

"Why can't I be both?"

"Because I made you up."

"Don't say that." Annabeth tugs him into a hug.

Percy stiffens at first, thinking that she'd fade now that he knows the truth. But she doesn't, she's as solid as he.

"Then why are you only in my head," Percy whispers, holding her close.

"Maybe, I'm trapped," Annabeth says.

Percy can feel their heartbeats. They're synced.

+x+

It should be ok that he's the only one who can know Annabeth.

As time goes by, it's really not.

+x+

He's sitting on his bathroom floor, holding his pills from the last two weeks, maybe that'll numb the pain of the blade.

"I'm going to get you out," he says into thin air. There's no one home, no one to hear him or hold him back. "Answer me, please."

He pick up the first pill in one hand, holding a water bottle in the other, swallowing the pill. He picks up another and does the same.

He doesn't know why Annabeth's disappeared. "Please come back," he whispers as he swallows another pill. He's going numb, he thinks he might be crying, can tastes salt on his lips, or maybe it's blood? He thought this'd be a peaceful goodbye, but honestly he's terrified.

Before he can take the last pill, his water falls to the floor, hands losing their feel.

"Oh no, Percy, look what you've done." He can feel Annabeth's breath on his salty lips and solid arms that wrap around his shoulders. He can't see clearly, just golden skin that shimmers like pond water. "You're with me now, you're safe. Just breathe, it'll be over soon."

Safe in her arms, he lets go.

+x+

"You're getting better Annabeth, I know you are." Mr. Brunner states. "What was his name again?"

"Percy," Annabeth replied quietly.

"He's gone right?" Mr. Brunner's warm eyes stare at her. "And no more hallucinations."

She nods, thinking that if she said something she'd start sobbing right then and there.

It's quiet for a moment when: "I think the reason he left was because you don't need him anymore."

_He loved me though, he promised_. She thinks but forces a smile and a nods anyway.

"The best thing you can do is try and forget about him, focus on putting your life together."

Annabeth nods again, though she knows Percy was real, she knows it and isn't going to forget him.

**She can't.**


	2. Part Two

Percy's walking across campus, out in the courtyard, when he stops short; heart leaps into his throat, making it impossible for it to breathe.

_I'm doing it again._ He thinks, _Oh god, they said I was getting better, this is not getting better._

He can't stop staring at her though, beautifully golden; just as he remembers. Before he can stop himself, he's walking towards her.

Percy stops; unsure of what he's going to do, when the girl looks up. His green meets her gray, and they just stand there gaping.

"You disappeared," Annabeth finally says, "You left me and I needed you."

"I didn't disappear, you did." Percy replies, unable to make sense of the impossible girl. "You said you were real."

"I am real," Annabeth says, biting her lip just like she used to. "You're the one who's not real. I made you up."

"No, no, no. I'm crazy, I'm crazy and I made you up!"

Annabeth shakes her head, looking confused and sad and broken, "No, I'm real! I'm Annabeth Chase, I'm twenty, I'm from San Francisco, I've got two brothers and when I was eighteen I had an imaginary friend cause I was a freaking screw up!"

Percy tries, deep inside, not to hope. "I'm Percy, from New York, and when I was nineteen I made you up because I'm schizophrenic."

"But you didn't make me up!" She stomps her foot, annoyed. "I'm real!" Annabeth grabs the arm of an alarmed student passing by, "Can you see me? Can you see him?" The girl nods quickly and scurries off. "See!"

Silence then: "You're real." Percy smiled.

"Mmm, yeah," Annabeth says, and bites her lip. "Can you- will you-"

Percy nods and pulls her into a hug, hiding his face in her curls. "God I missed you so much. Have you been eating?"

"Mostly, how about you, no more voices?" She asks against his collarbone.

"Mostly," he says.

They pull away and Annabeth grins, "Nice to meet you Seaweed Brain."

"Likewise, Wise Girl."

"How about some lunch? My treat." She says.

With a nod Percy grabs her hand and they walk towards the mall center, vowing silently to never let go.

* * *

was this confusing? hopefully not. I should probably update Livros Antigos, but yeah ok.

Review...? If you want.

meow.


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